


spellbound by your love

by cutiepiehyuck



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: (not really there's a lot more hold onto your horses), Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, Fluff, Human Jaemin, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurities, Magical Realism, Minor Violence, Multi, Some mentions of depression, Witch Jeno, Witch Renjun, Witchcraft, donghyuck gets turned into a cat that's it that's the fic, other characters are mentioned but won't show up, witch donghyuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2020-02-23 18:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18707551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutiepiehyuck/pseuds/cutiepiehyuck
Summary: One would think that having three witch boyfriends would make Jaemin used to the antics they got up to. Living in a house with walls that moved and talked and seemed to have a mind of their own, where plants decided to curl around your hand like pets and some sort of potion was always bubbling. Jaemin should be used to it by now, the constant noise and thrumming of magic everywhere and still he was shocked by what his boyfriends could do.And a little worried.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is honestly the longest fic I've written in a long time, so bear with me for any mistakes or things that don't make sense. I've done my best! And also, this will be chaptered, maybe 2-3 chapters (I haven't decided yet), and there will probably be a prequel to this fic later! But here's some background info before you read:  
> Jeno - works with elemental magic mainly, mostly nature  
> Renjun - potions and healing, also connected to The Void (a magical dimension)  
> Donghyuck - traditional witch, messes with some dark magic but more general than the other two  
> Jaemin - just a normal human :)
> 
> tell me what you think in the comments!!

One would think that having three witch boyfriends would make Jaemin used to the antics they got up to. Living in a house with walls that moved and talked and seemed to have a mind of their own, where plants decided to curl around your hand like pets and some sort of potion was always bubbling. Jaemin should be used to it by now, the constant noise and thrumming of magic everywhere and still he was shocked by what his boyfriends could do. 

“Nana watch, I’m going to turn this little seed into a full grown flower. Are you ready?” Jaemin watched Jeno with rapt attention, Jeno’s eyes sparkling as he observed his human boyfriend. It wasn’t everyday that Jeno got to put his earth magic to good use as he was mostly delegated to making potion ingredients by Renjun, but Jaemin always asked him to show it off. 

The seed sat delicately in a pot that Jeno held, small and unassuming as it had just started its journey towards life. Jeno focused carefully, injecting just a small amount of his magic essence into the sprout, enough to cause it to shiver before opening towards him, wiggling like it had just woken up. Jeno looked up to see Jaemin wide eyed and clapping gently. He leaned forward to stroke it, just like Jeno had allowed him to do with all of his plants, and Jeno could only watch fondly. It made the love in his heart blossom even more. 

“Jeno that’s amazing! The plants are so pretty, just like you,” Jaemin trailed off, looking up to meet Jeno’s stare. They both smiled softly and Jaemin leaned forward to give him a small peck before turning his attention back towards the now fully grown rose. 

The moment was shattered as soon as Renjun burst into the room, causing the pair to look up in alarm at his loud entrance. Ever since Jaemin had met his second boyfriend, he knew him as the quiet, watchful type. He was their silent glue, the one who struck out with insults but climbed into bed at the end of a long day to offer comfort and love. He always knew what to do, always seemed put together, and it terrified Jaemin to no end. It took a month of coaxing from Jeno before he was even able to approach the other witch, and even then it took them another 3 months of helpless pining before Renjun was added to their relationship. But not once during their relationship had he ever seen Renjun flustered and worried, he always kept the cool exterior up in even the most stressful situations, like when Donghyuck was throwing up pink liquid. 

But as Renjun ran into Jeno’s room, he looked unkempt. His normally perfectly styled hair was ruffled, his eyes were wide with something like panic, and he looked like he had just run a marathon. Jeno stood up immediately, gently handing the rose pot to Jaemin as he moved towards Renjun, who was breathing heavily and trying to get words out through his deep breaths. 

“Hey, hey, Injunnie breathe it’s okay. Take a second, what’s going on?” Jeno whispered gently, rubbing Renjun’s back as he took a few deep breaths to compose himself. 

“It’s Hyuck. We were trying out this new spell and something backfired, and I can’t find him anywhere, I’m so worried Jeno, what if he’s  _ dead  _ or something-” Tears sprung to Renjun’s eyes as he looked at his boyfriend in panic, and Jeno just kept shushing him carefully, trying to get him to calm down. Jaemin watched the whole exchange with worry, wanting to help but feeling useless due to his lack of magic. He didn’t know what kind of spell could’ve caused this, wouldn’t know where to find Donghyuck if he did. He was just worried for his boyfriends. 

“Injun it’ll be okay. Think about this logically, what kind of spell were you trying to do?” Jeno asked, moving Renjun towards his bed. Renjun sat down and leaned against Jaemin, seeking comfort in his stressed state. Jaemin immediately placed the rose pot down gently and carded his hands through Renjun’s hair in an attempt to calm him down in the only way he knew how. 

“I think it was a transfiguration spell? I can’t remember, I know Hyuck had it written down somewhere but he’s  _ gone _ -” 

“Injunnie shh, think about this rationally,” Jaemin whispered as he continued to comfort his boyfriend. He knew that if Renjun continued to work himself into a panic they’d never get anywhere. Even if Jaemin had never seen Renjun not composed, he knew how frantic his boyfriend could get during times of stress. If Renjun was working on a new potion that needed to be in their shop by next week, he’d lock himself in his room and forget everything until he got it right. It worried Jaemin to no end, and he would always leave food and water for Renjun to eat, making sure that he would come back to them still healthy. This time was no different, but it was new for Jaemin to see that sort of frantic panic up close. 

“Okay, if it was a transfiguration spell he probably didn’t go anywhere. He might even still be in the spell room, why don’t I check there? And Jaemin, you and Renjun can look around the apartment and the shop okay? I’m sure Yukhei won’t mind if you interrupt him at the front desk either,” Jeno said, pulling on his jacket as he left the room with those instructions. 

Jaemin pulled Renjun into a standing position and smoothed out his hair, patting it down to make it look somewhat styled. He wiped the unshed tears from Renjun’s eyes and kissed him on both cheeks, giving his boyfriend an encouraging smile.

“I’ll look in his room first and you look around the kitchen and living room? Ask around to see if anyone has seen him, maybe check with the petunias by the fridge, they always seem to know things before we do,” Jaemin gave Renjun one last look before setting off towards Donghyck’s room. 

Their apartment felt off, too quiet. There was an air of worry surrounding him as he approached Donghyuck’s cracked open door. An almost childlike note was written on the door, reading ‘NO BOYZ ALLOWED (unless it’s Jaemin, Renjun, or Jeno)’. The scribbled note still made Jaemin chuckle, everything about it screaming Donghyuck in the best way possible. Anxiety bubbled up in Jaemin at looking in the room, even as the walls surrounding him whispered encouragement. He didn’t have any sort of defense if something evil was in there, even if rationally he knew there wasn’t. He felt inadequate, in a short moment of panic. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t find Donghyuck. He couldn’t even enter a room without feeling panic. 

He took a hesitant step forward, pushing down the thoughts threatening to overflow his mind. The room was just a room, nothing would hurt him. He took small steps forward until he finally reached the threshold. The room was a mess, as always, but there was a sense that something was off. Jaemin let himself walk into the room, breathing in the smell of the ocean that always seemed to linger around Donghyuck. He was in here, or had been very recently. Jaemin was absolutely sure. 

A small sound from underneath Donghyuck’s bed echoed in the room. Jaemin froze, glancing over at the unassuming bed. He moved slowly towards it, lowering himself down to peek underneath. And sitting there, glowing eyes and puffed up tail, was a cat.

The cat seemed spooked, it’s ears flat against its head and puffy tail swishing behind it. It was a pale orange, light stripes going down the back, and Jaemin fell in love immediately. He wasn’t about to question how the cat got into their house, he was just glad it did because it was adorable. 

Jaemin sat down next to the bed slowly, aiming to not spook the cat more than it already was. He remembered his younger days when he would attract the strays, simply sitting on his porch and letting the cats with no home find comfort with him for a brief moment. He laid his head up against the bed, leaving one hand in his lap while the other laid on the ground next to him. He knew that he had to give the animal time to approach him, time to become comfortable around him. If he didn’t, the poor thing would only get more spooked by the sudden ambush of unfamiliar hands.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, letting his hand sit and wait for the tell tale feel of fur against it. At some point he closed his eyes, listening to the faint sound of the ocean that Donghyuck had conjured up in his room. Donghyuck always claimed he belonged to the sea, even though his powers rested resolutely in darker magic and the spiritual realm. Still, the sea always seemed to call out to Donghyuck in a way, and whenever they visited the coast, Jaemin could see the yearning in his eyes. Jaemin knew that there must be some sort of calming spell on the room too because he could feel his anxiety fading as the ocean smell invaded his nose. He missed his boyfriend so much, and yet it still felt like his presence was there even in his absence. He just had to hope nothing bad happened to Donghyuck. 

In his calm state he almost missed the slight brush of fur against his hand. He looked down slowly and spotted the cat and it’s apprehension as it gazed up at Jaemin. He smiled at the small animal, realizing now that the cat still seemed young, not quite an adult but older than a kitten. The cat still looked terrified, but it was coming closer to Jaemin as the minutes passed. He was content to wait as long as he could to make sure the cat was okay and then maybe he would figure out how it had gotten into Donghyuck’s room. Maybe it was linked to his disappearance, he wasn’t sure. 

Before long, Jaemin had a lap full of cat. He ran his hand softly over the cat’s head, giving it gentle pets as it purred. He found it a little abnormal, considering most of the cats he had cared for in the past took weeks before they even trusted him to pet them, but he wasn’t going to reject the open affection the cat was giving him. He thrived off the affection of others, and cats weren’t the best at giving it out easily but when they did it was wonderful. He wondered if Jeno and his cat agenda was rubbing off on him, but it’s hard to hate a cat when it was just so sweet. Or any animal really. Jaemin maybe had too much love to give. 

The door to Donghyuck’s room creaked open and the cat sitting on his lap was immediately alert, the only thing keeping it in place was the gentle hand that Jaemin had on it’s back, not to keep it in place but simply as comfort. Renjun peeked his head in, looking worse for wear as his tear streaked face showed. Jaemin knew he could do nothing but hope they found Donghyuck soon, because that was the only thing that would soothe his boyfriend’s worries. 

“Jaemin...Is that a cat?” Renjun asked, eyeing the cat in his lap with suspicion.

“Uh. Yes? I don’t know, it was just hiding under Hyuck’s bed and you know how I am about animals…” Jaemin trailed off, focusing his attention back on the cat purring contentedly in his lap. Renjun did, in fact, know how Jaemin was about animals. When they first moved in together, Jaemin would come home at least once a week with a new animal. Most days it was a stray cat or dog, but sometimes Jaemin saw something like a lonely snake or rabbit and decided that the poor (wild) animal deserved a home too. For a month or so, Renjun thought Jaemin himself was a witch purely based on the amount of animals he seemed to attract, but after Taeyong had told him multiple times he was just as human as Johnny, Renjun gave up. Jaemin just had an inviting aura. 

“Are you sure it’s a cat Jaem? I mean, what if it’s a demon disguised as a cat! You never know,” Renjun said, marching towards Jaemin as if to snatch the cat right out of his hands. Jaemin shielded it protectively, and Renjun just narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. 

“Let me at least see, Nana. I can use my magic to scan and see if it’s something disguised, and if it’s not I promise to give it back okay? I’m not gonna harm the thing, I promise,” Renjun said and relaxed a little, his eyes pleading as Jaemin sighed. Jaemin would do anything if it made Renjun feel more comfortable. 

Jaemin nodded and Renjun approached slowly, the cat lifting its head to look at him warily. Renjun crouched down and gently picked up the cat, trying to avoid it’s claws as he did so. Jaemin watched nervously as the cat panicked in Renjun’s arms, meowing and hissing loudly. 

“Shhh it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you,” Renjun whispered, setting the cat down on Donghyuck’s bed. The cat seemed to relax a little as it realized it was no longer in the air, but it looked terrified of Renjun, backing against the wall with its tail puffed up and its ears pushed all the way back.

Renjun pulled some sort of potion out of his pocket, and after the years of knowing him, Jaemin decided not to question it. Renjun had these things he liked to call “pockets” but they weren’t the type you would find in a pair of jeans; instead, they worked outside of their reality and were places where Renjun could place things and come back to them at any time. It fascinated Jaemin, just like every bit of magic his boyfriends could do. 

He sprinkled the potion over the cat, his eyes turning purple as he seemed to observe the effect it had on the cat. Renjun gasped, leaning forward to peer at the cat as it glared up at him, no longer scared but seemingly pissed off.

“Donghyuck, what? No, shut up, this is your fault, I know you’re a cat okay-” Renjun communicated frantically with the cat, which seemed to be getting more agitated as Renjun talked. Jaemin was desperately trying to follow along, picking up that the cat was somehow Donghyuck, and now Renjun could somehow talk to him, but everything else seemed a mystery. Jaemin had learned over the years that it was much better to not question the antics his boyfriends got up to and just wait for when they needed the problem resolved through more human ways. They seemed to forget that that was an option sometimes, and those were the times when Jaemin felt the most useful. Spells might not be his forte, but words certainly were. 

“I’ll figure out a way to turn you back okay? For now, just stick with Nana and Jeno okay? No, this is your fault, we’re not arguing over this anymore,” Renjun waved his hands and his eyes suddenly cleared. The cat, Donghyuck apparently, continued to glare at Renjun, but let his head fall back down, almost pouting if a cat could do that. 

“So. Donghyuck turned himself into a cat. I don’t know what to do, I think I’ll look in the library for something, but why don’t you take Hyuck to Jeno and fill him in on the situation?” Renjun turned to look at Jaemin, his eyes a little dazed from the magic and the tear tracks still quite present on his face. Jaemin knew that this would only end badly for Renjun as he inevitably locked himself in the library for days until he finally would admit defeat and they would go to Taeyong. Jaemin wanted to skip straight to that part, but knew it would hurt his boyfriend’s pride too much if he suggested that, so he simply nodded. Before Renjun left, though, Jaemin made sure to gather him up in a tight hug and kiss. He could see the appreciation in his boyfriend’s eyes as he left for their library. 

Jaemin turned to Donghyuck, who was looking up at him with the most human look in his cat eyes that Jaemin didn’t know how he didn’t figure it out sooner. 

“Alright Hyuck, we gotta go find Jeno. I’m gonna pick you up, so please don’t scratch me or I’ll kick your ass once you’re back to human form,” Jaemin spoke to Donghyuck, and slowly approached his boyfriend. He could only pray that the cat version of Donghyuck wasn’t quite as bratty as the human version, because he knew if Donghyuck could talk right now he’d be getting some sassy response. 

Jaemin gently picked Donghyuck up, and sighed in relief when he wasn’t attacked by claws. He realized now that Donghyuck was a cat he was much lighter to carry and much softer. All of these realizations messed with Jaemin’s head, because of course he was, he was a cat, but the cat was also so irrevocably Donghyuck. Jaemin shook his head to clear out the thoughts, meeting eyes with the cat who was staring up at him with confusion. Jaemin had to find Jeno first, and then he’d deal with cat Donghyuck. 

“Jeno?” Jaemin called out, as he wandered their house searching for his boyfriend. The walls whispered something before opening the door down to their store, and Jaemin thanked them quietly. He knew that their house was special and cared for them differently than most witch houses, and he’d forever be thankful for all of the love and magic his boyfriends poured into their home. 

Jamin climbed down the small, winding staircase into the bottom part of their building and the lovechild of Jeno’s brains and Donghyuck’s magic. Everything about  _ Magic, Muses, and More!  _ screamed Jeno and Jaemin loved the dorky charm that seemed to be in every nook and cranny of the store. There were cute, inspirational, moving posters on the walls, featuring various cats that all seemed to be encouraging you to “Do your best!” The walls were painted a soft blue, and various upbeat songs played softly from the radio. They always seemed to match Jeno’s mood, which is how Jaemin always knew when Jeno was having a bad day. If any form of loud, pounding music was playing in the store, Jaemin knew he needed to comfort his boyfriend. 

Right now, the music had an undertone of worry, as some electronic music was playing. It wasn’t the loud music that symbolized Jeno’s sadness, but it wasn’t the upbeat EXO songs either. Yukhei looked up from his station as Jaemin climbed down the stairs, and the blatant worry in his eyes reminded Jaemin of why they hired him in the first place. 

“Is Jeno okay? He’s been looking into The Portal again, and the music keeps changing, flipping between songs,” As if to emphasise Yukhei’s point, the music quickly flipped to a lilting piano cover, and Jaemin sighed. He didn’t want to set Donghyuck down, who was now relaxed in his arms, because he knew that would only cause more worry, but he also needed to comfort his boyfriend.

“I’ll check on him. Do you mind holding Donghyuck?”

“Oh, alright-wait what?!” Jaemin gently passed Donghyuck the Cat over to Yukhei, who was growing more concerned by the second, before jogging over to the mop of brown hair leaning over the darkest corner of their store. 

“Jeno, baby, it’s okay we found him. Why don’t we go upstairs for some tea and you can relax a little?”

“You found him?” Jeno perked up at Jaemin’s words, his eyes still cloudy from peering into The Portal. Jaemin had never asked about The Portal, and he never intended to. He saw what happened to his boyfriends when they even approached it, and he knew that nothing good would happen if they stayed by it for too long. That’s all he needed to know to pass judgement on the thing and he was fully prepared to do whatever he could to protect them from The Portal, magic or not. 

“Mhmm, Injunnie will explain everything, I promise. It’s a lot of magic that I, uh, don’t understand. But I know that in a few days if nothing has changed we’re going to Taeyong,” Jaemin spoke with conviction, watching as his boyfriend’s eyes cleared. He had made the decision after seeing the broken look in Renjun’s eyes after realizing Donghyuck was, in fact, a cat and the whole mistake had been somewhat influenced by him. Jaemin wasn’t going to let him work himself to death just over guilt and he knew Donghyuck would feel the same. 

“Are you sure Renjun is going to be okay with that?”

“Nope. Don’t care,” Jaemin pulled his boyfriend back to the front of the store, where Yukhei was gently petting Donghyuck. Donghyuck looked serene, his whiskers twitching a little every time Yukhei ran his hands over his head. He was very cute and it took everything Jaemin had to not squeal at how cute the cat was. Besides, they had a task to focus on. 

“Hey Yukhei, can I have my boyfriend back?” Jaemin asked as he approached the counter, and Yukhei looked up with a pout. 

“But he’s so cute! And he only scratched me once, which is a step up from human Donghyuck. Can you keep him like this forever?” Jeno laughed behind his hand and Jaemin shook his head with a smile on his face. He could almost see the glare in the cat’s eyes as he looked up at Yukhei in betrayal before hissing and jumping onto the counter. Donghyuck marched right up to Jaemin and jumped. Jaemin scrambled to catch him, and luckily did, but Donghyuck didn’t even look bothered by the almost fall. 

“You’re such a brat, you know that?” Jaemin whispered, and Donghyuck just meowed in reply. Next to him, Jeno was staring at Donghyuck the cat with wonder in his eyes. And tears, as his eyes were growing redder by the second just being around a cat. 

“Hi baby, oh you’re so cute! I love you~” Jeno started using his Cat Voice, and Jaemin found it so cute he could almost feel the heart eyes. In mere seconds, Donghyuck vacated Jaemin’s arms in favor of Jeno’s, who was quickly gathering him up and smashing his face into Donghyuck’s fur. Jaemin winced after Jeno sneezed, and made a mental note to look for the allergy potion they had hidden somewhere in the cabinet. Renjun hadn’t made it in a long time, considering Jeno had no reason to be around cats, and the other two rarely had allergies. 

“Let’s get you a nice warm bed and some food, huh? Donghyuckie you’re so cute like this, oh I love you~,” Jeno squealed, and Jaemin could see the regret in Donghyuck’s eyes. They had all forgotten the menace Jeno came when encountering any type of animal, and it was a wonder that he hadn’t brought more home at this point. 

The pair climbed back up the winding stairs, opening the door into their apartment to hear a sigh of relief. The walls seemed to relax at their entrance, and the door to Renjun’s ‘room’ swung open. Jaemin knew that was directed at him, so he waved off Jeno’s concerned glance. 

“Take care of Hyuck okay? I’ll be back,” Jaemin said, moving towards the beckoning door. The room opened into a winding staircase, and he knew that this only meant that Renjun was in his workroom. He climbed down the stone steps, listening as they echoed off the walls around him. He finally reached the wooden door at the bottom and knocked softly, opening the door only a second after. 

Renjun was hunched over his workbench, scribbling notes in the margins of the numerous books he had open. His features were stuck in a frown as he studied the notes with an air or nerves around him. Jaemin had never seen him this unsettled, set out of his comfort zone by one mistake. Sure, Donghyuck had fucked up his spells numerous times before, it wouldn’t be a normal day in their house if he didn’t, but for some reason this affected Renjun more. And Jaemin wasn’t about to let his boyfriend beat himself up for something out of his control. 

“Injunnie, come back to the kitchen for some food or something before you lock yourself in here for work. Jeno was worried about you.” Renjun sighed, putting down his pen and rubbing his face.

“Jaemin, I’m working okay? We won’t get Hyuck back if I don’t figure out the solution, and I can’t have any distractions while I’m doing that.” His voice was steadily increasing in volume as he spoke, and Jaemin knew he shouldn’t be offended, knew that Renjun was just talking about ‘distractions’ in general, but he couldn’t help but feel the pang in his heart when Renjun said that. Was that all he was? A distraction? Something not even special enough to warrant anger, just annoyance at the fact that he even dared to interrupt? Jaemin’s face crumbled, and when Renjun finally,  _ finally,  _ looked up from his books he was faced with sad eyes and an empty smile. 

“I guess I’ll leave you alone then.”

“No, wait, Jaem! That’s not what I meant, I’m-” Jaemin didn’t wait around to hear it, he just ran back up the staircase and back to his, no, Donghyuck’s room. He didn’t want to see the happy pictures littering the walls, he just wanted to be somewhere alone and isolated.

The sound of the ocean overwhelmed him as he stepped back into Donghyuck’s room, and it smelled like saltwater with a hint of something sweet, like a far off boardwalk that carried the voices of happy children and families on the wind. Jaemin allowed himself to fall back on the bed, closing his eyes for a moment to stop the tears from falling out. He didn’t want to cry, knew it was dumb and Renjun didn’t mean it like that, but he couldn’t help but be upset. He didn’t have any magical powers or witch abilities, but he always thought that his normalcy balanced out the insanity of his boyfriends’ magic. Maybe he was wrong. 

The door creaked open and a faint meow echoed in the room. The pitter of paws sounded across the floor, and the bed weighed down as Donghyuck jumped up. Jaemin glanced over at the cat, his boyfriend, and laid out his hand. Donghyuck rubbed against him, quickly deciding that just like in his human form he wanted as much skinship as possible and climbed right on Jaemin’s lap. Jaemin giggled, petting Donghyuck before sighing. He missed Donghyuck, he missed Renjun, he just wished things were normal. Or at least as normal was for them. 

“Nana? Are you in here?” Jeno’s voice cut through the sad fog lingering in Jaemin’s mind, and he gently pushed Donghyuck off before sitting up. 

“Yeah. What’s up?” He tried to sound as normal as possible, like he wasn’t just crying, but there was a weight to his voice that he knew Jeno would be able to detect. He wiped his face, trying to remove all traces of tears. He didn’t want the path of sadness to be clear on his face, wanted to move past it like they always had. Renjun made a mistake, it would be okay. 

Jeno peeked into the room, and Jaemin smiled at him. But his smile was strained, and Donghyuck meowed sadly before climbing back onto Jaemin. Jeno sighed, pushing the door open and ignoring the overpowering sound of the ocean. Donghyuck’s room was especially attuned to emotions, and the ocean sounds only happened when someone was either very stressed or very sad. Jaemin’s pained eyes gave everything away to Jeno, and he wished he could do something to protect his boyfriend from sadness. Donghyuck was attempting to do just that as he absolutely demanded attention from Jaemin. For once, Jeno was a little glad that Donghyuck had gotten them into this situation. While his aura as a human could be aggravating at times, he was always a steady and calm presence when someone needed a shoulder to cry on. Jeno could remember right before Mark’s entry exam into the prestigious magic school, Donghyuck baked him an entire cake and let himself be subjected to endless hours of studying. Mark aced the exam, of course, and Donghyuck was right beside him to celebrate. Cat Donghyuck was no different, if only a little quieter. He could tell Jaemin needed his boyfriends, and Jeno was forever thankful for the day he waltzed into their life. 

“Are you okay? No, are you going to be okay?” Jeno asked, moving closer to sit next to his two boyfriends on the bed. Jaemin smiled sadly, the one genuine thing Jeno had seen since walking into the room. Donghyuck continued to meow, doing his best to get Jaemin to smile more. 

“I think so. Renjun just said...never mind, it’s stupid.” Jaemin sighed to himself, pushing his hands into Donghyuck’s fur. He was still meowing, quieter, but now there was an underlying purr. Jaemin just wanted things to be normal.

“What did Renjun say? If it made you cry it’s not stupid Nana,” Jeno said, looking over at his boyfriend, trying so desperately to make eye contact but Jaemin was resolutely staring away from him. He knew as soon as he made eye contact with Jeno it was over, he would reveal everything and probably cry some more and he didn’t want that. He didn’t want Jeno to mad at Renjun, he didn’t want Renjun to cry or feel isolated just because he said something dumb and felt like the whole world was on his shoulders. He didn’t want Donghyuck to do something else stupid, he just wanted things to be  _ normal. _

Normal. 

“We have to go to Taeyong, Jeno. You know I’m right.”

“Don’t change the subject, Nana. You were just crying, you can’t just move on from that-”

“I just did. C’mon, if we don’t talk to Taeyong things will only get worse. Renjun will work himself to death, Donghyuck might become stuck like this forever. It’s the only option.” Jeno sighed because he knew Jaemin was right, but he wasn’t going to let everything go that easily. 

“We’ll go as soon as you tell me what made you upset, Nana. Let me in, please.” Jeno was practically begging at this point, leaned over in an attempt to catch his boyfriend’s eyes. Jaemin sighed, and a single tear rolled out of his eye. He was trying to let things go and Jeno wouldn’t. 

“Promise not to get mad a Renjun?”

“Promise.”

-

“Renjun! We’re going to see Taeyong, you’re either coming or we’ll stick Donghyuck on you!” Jaemin shouted down the stairs, holding a very threatening Donghyuck in his arms. Jeno was standing behind him, ready to grow some vines in order to force Renjun out of his cave. 

They heard a crash and a yell of a few curse words. Jaemin smiled as Renjun ran up the stairs, his hair sticking up in every direction and a potion held in his hand. He looked somewhat triumphant, but Donghyuck only recoiled from the potion in his hand. 

“I think...I found...the cure,” Renjun breathed out, his heavy inhales getting in the way of his speech. He rested on his knees, attempting to catch his breath while Jeno grabbed the potion from his hands. 

“Why is this in a coke bottle?”

“It was the only thing I could find in my room, honestly. I didn’t really clean it out beforehand, now that I’m thinking about it…”

“Okay! Why don’t we bring that along with us and definitely not drink it!” Jaemin said, grabbing the bottle from both of his boyfriends before they could do something reckless. Renjun sighed, and Jeno leaned over to smooth out his hair. He pressed a kiss to his forehead before following after Jaemin. Renjun smiled to himself, smoothing out his hair again before following. 

The car ride to the Lee household was silent except for the quiet music playing in the background and Donghyuck’s occasional yells for attention. Renjun was forced to sit in the back with Donghyuck, who was in between glaring at him and vying for his pets. Renjun ran his hands along Donghyuck’s fur gently, letting his head rest against the window as the scenery passed them by. The city faded away slowly, giving way to trees and flowers blooming across the landscape. The countryside looked like it had jumped right out of a painting, the bright flowers popping in front of the soft green background. 

Jeno rolled down the window, breathing in the scent of nature. He forgot sometimes, just how freeing it was to be among nature. The city could be so suffocating, with it’s planted trees and trapped flowers, that Jeno forgot what genuine freedom in nature felt like. He could feel the wind calling out to him, the flowers waving hello as they sped past. He let his hands trail on the wind, sprinkles of green shooting out from his fingers. The trees perked up, their leaves fluffing up. The flowers bloomed brighter than before, and everything seemed somehow more vibrant as he allowed the power of nature to flow through him. He missed this. 

Renjun watched the look on Jeno’s face, vowing to bring Jeno out here more often. Maybe not to visit Taeyong, but at least somewhere past the honking cars and busy streets. Everyone always had somewhere to go in the city, and there was never time to stop and smell the flowers. But for Jeno, that’s all he wanted to do. And Renjun wanted to make sure that he could do that sometimes. 

They pulled up to the small cottage, isolated from prying eyes. The gravel crunched beneath their car, and Jaemin was sure that Taeyong was already aware of their presence. He always seemed to know exactly when to open the door, and just as Renjun slammed the car door shut, Taeyong opened the door. He narrowed his eyes at Donghyuck, held safely in Renjun’s grip, and Jaemin was sure that he had already analyzed the situation and they were all in for a lecture. Well, everyone but him of course, considering he couldn’t do any magic. 

Taeyong was a powerful witch, evident in the way that his hair always seemed to be floating in the wind. Not to mention the constantly changing colors of his hair, which Jaemin knew was magic because no one could dye their hair that many times and have it still look as perfect as Taeyong’s. He knew because he still remembered how crunchy and dry his hair felt after his bubblegum pink phase, and Taeyong seemed to have none of those problems.

His robe, traditional witch wear, or at least he claimed, billowed out behind him. He made an imposing figure in the doorway, elegant and tall, someone who radiated pure power. In contrast, as Johnny appeared behind his boyfriend, he was none of those things. His face broke out into a smile at the sight of them, and everything about him screamed welcoming. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, a warm brown jacket draped across his shoulders. He placed a hand on Taeyong’s waist, moving him just slightly out of the doorway in order to welcome them. 

Jaemin loved Johnny. Not only because of how nice he was, or how he always seemed to remind Taeyong that magic wasn’t everything, but because he was a  _ human  _ dating a witch. He could relate to Jaemin’s problems, and for that reason, Johnny was one of Jaemin’s favorite people. He could spend hours sharing stories with Johnny over tea about the antics that his boyfriends got up to, and Johnny would understand. Johnny made him feel like a part of this world, not like an outsider. Sometimes, surrounded by the magical house and his magical boyfriends, he forgot what it felt like to be included in something. 

“Come in! Ignore Taeyong, he’s pissed that you guys didn’t come sooner, that’s all. He’ll get this angry little pout off his face soon enough.”

“I am not pouting! This is my angry face!”

“Whatever you say, dear.”

“I’ll hex you!” Jaemin smiled at the laugh that Johnny let out, so genuinely happy and in love that it felt like it surrounded them. Jeno at least had the decency to look sheepish, mumbling apologies to Taeyong as they entered the house. Renjun avoided eye contact completely, and Donghyuck just meowed in response, as if he was agreeing with Taeyong’s point. He probably was, and Jaemin was glad that his boyfriend’s vocabulary was limited to meows at this point, because he couldn’t deal with the snark and impatient remarks that he was sure Donghyuck would be making otherwise. 

“You’d never hex me, you love me too much. Now Donghyuck and Renjun, you might hex,” Johnny spoke like a scolding father, looking over at the pair who were now working together in looking everywhere but the imploring eyes of Taeyong and Johnny. 

“Tell me what happened or I’ll get it out of you myself,” Taeyong said, leading the three witches towards his work room. Johnny watched him go with a fond look on his face, and their voices faded into background noise soon enough. Jaemin busied himself with waving at the plants around the house, knowing from his own experience that they were alive and would be nicer to you if you were nice to them first. The sunflowers by the window seemed to perk up at his arrival, and he shot them a bright smile. 

“Well Jaemin, it looks like it’s just us boring humans again. Did you eat lunch? If not, I can make you something.” Johnny was already gravitating towards the kitchen, and Jaemin had no choice but to follow. He knew that no matter his response, Johnny was going to make him lunch because that was just the kind of person he was. He was too kind hearted for his own good, at least that’s what Taeyong always said, but he knew the balance between the cynical witch and the optimistic human worked. They balanced each other out, in a way. 

“How do you feel about a grilled cheese? My dad always used to make me one, each day I’d come home from school to a warm grilled cheese and a cookie, and we’d talk about the great things that happened that day.” Johnny sighed happily, a contemplating look in his eyes as he slipped into the past. Jaemin didn’t really have a similar experience, too used to the quiet household and boring food of his own childhood, but he appreciated Johnny’s stories. He sometimes felt like Johnny was more of a brother or father figure than his own family. 

Johnny quickly set about to making the grilled cheese, pulling out bread and numerous slices of cheese from thin air, even though Jaemin knew they were just hidden compartments around the kitchen. Taeyong was secretive like that. Jaemin much preferred an actual refrigerator, where you could see everything laid out in front of you, but to each their own. 

Johnny quietly hummed to himself as he set up the pan, and Jaemin took a seat at the bar. He could hear voices from the other room, sometimes increasing in volume to a point where Johnny would stop, stare at the closed door, before returning to making lunch. Jaemin wasn’t worried, because he figured Taeyong was simply chewing Renjun and Donghyuck out, poor Jeno, and they probably deserved it. But he loved them too much to tell them that to their face. 

“One grilled cheese, plated just like a chef would!” Johnny flourished dramatically, placing the plate down in front of Jaemin. It smelled delicious, and looked cooked to perfection. The bread was just brown enough, the cheese melting out the sides, and Jaemin once again wondered if Johnny did possess a power, one in cooking, that he simply kept to himself. 

The minutes ticked by, with Jaemin munching in silence while Johnny rattled around the kitchen, sometimes pausing to tell a story or check up on how things were going in the shop. Jaemin filled him in on their new customers, an adorable young witch named Chenle, who came in asking for obscure, chinese ingredients that Renjun perked up at, and the sweet Yuta, who returned every Sunday asking for tea leaves and some new potion ideas. Jaemin quite liked Yuta, mainly because he always offered to read his Tarot cards, even though Donghyuck whined that  _ he  _ could do it too. 

“Sounds like quite the business you’ve got there.”

“I guess. It’s mostly just regulars, and the occasional human who walks in looking for something aesthetic for their pinterest. Oh, and Mark flirting with Yukhei, but that’s not new.” Johnny let out a booming laugh at Jaemin’s statement, and he couldn’t help but smile along. 

“They still haven’t gotten together? You know, Yongie and Jaehyun have been making bets about it for almost 6 months now, and they keep checking the star alignments and everything, but it seems like Mark is determined to draw out his pining for as long as possible.” Jaemin nodded in response, sitting back in his seat as he finished the sandwich.

After a few silent seconds, the door to Taeyong’s work room banged open, a burst of fire exploding out of the room before an exasperated yell followed.

“Donghyuck! I told you to stop messing around with your elemental magic,  _ especially _ in this form!” 

“Meow!” Jaemin could hear the snark in the meow, and by the look on Taeyong’s very red, very angry face, he had heard it too. 

“I don’t care if you think it’s cool you’re slowly gaining your magic back while in this form, if you  _ use  _ it, you could seriously hurt someone!” 

The pitter of feet followed that sentence, and Donghyuck ran into the kitchen and jumped onto Jaemin’s lap. Immediately, Jaemin started running his hands through Donghyuck’s fur, trying to calm down the obviously frazzled cat. His tail was puffed up, making him look almost cartoonish, but Jaemin knew that Donghyuck was really nervous. He was looking for someone to give him reassurance that this would be okay, he would be back to normal in no time, and Jaemin was readily prepared to give that to him. 

Taeyong, Renjun, and Jeno all came trudging after Donghyuck. Renjun and Jeno settled in the seats next to Jaemin, while Taeyong greeted Johnny with a kiss and request for some ‘goddamn coffee, please.’

“Hyuckie, if you wanna learn more about elemental magic, you can always come to me y’know.” Jeno whispered, petting Donghyuck who simply purred in response. Renjun handed over another anti-allergy potion as soon as Jeno started itching his nose, and he grinned in response before leaning over to give Renjun a kiss. Jaemin was filled with warmth and love for his boyfriends, even if one was currently a snarky cat. Everything  _ would  _ be alright. 

Taeyong was leaning against the counter, sipping his cup of coffee (which was probably way too hot, Jaemin was only a little worried) and staring at the four of them with a contemplating look on his face. Johnny was standing next to him, slowly putting things away and cleaning up the kitchen. Jaemin stared back at Taeyong, meeting his eyes and sending him a questioning look. Taeyong simply shook his head, and turned around to help Johnny clean up. 

The six sat in silence for a while, with Johnny and Taeyong cleaning the kitchen, and Jaemin, Jeno, Renjun, and Donghyuck all entertaining themselves. Currently, it was who could get Donghyuck to purr the loudest and Jeno was winning, but Renjun was complaining because he was  _ obviously  _ cheating. 

“I’ve thought of a solution for Donghyuck’s problem, but he’s going to hate it.” Taeyong called out, interrupting the impending argument between Jeno and Renjun. Four pairs of eyes looked up at Taeyong, and he sighed deeply. There was a loud meow in response, and Jeno subtly covered Donghyuck’s mouth with his hand in order to get him to be quiet. 

“What is it?” Jeno asked curiously, ignoring the harsh licks to his hand that he was receiving from Donghyuck. Taeyong sighed in response, already floating some of his belongings towards him in order to prepare for the trip. 

“We’re going to see Jungwoo.”

-

The car ride was silent, with the three boys (and cat) in the back, masking their uncomfortableness with endless games of rock, paper, scissors. Donghyuck had somehow managed to pull off an angry face, even with his adorable cat features. His eyes were narrowed, his ears were flat against his head, and his tail was puffed up. Jaemin was a little scared, honestly, but he still held tightly onto his boyfriend in fear of him attempting to attack someone else (Taeyong). Jeno was petting him slowly in an attempt to calm him down, but Donghyuck just stayed rigid. Renjun was summoning as many calming potions as he could, trying to give them to all of them with no luck.

No one really enjoyed visiting Jungwoo, not because he was a bad person or anything, but his magic tended to side on the  _ darker _ . He experimented with things that even made Yuta uncomfortable, but his intentions were always good. And his house was very off putting. The too tall walls and yet too low ceiling, the black and red splotches all over the walls. Jaemin hated it, hated it because their house felt so alive and Jungwoo’s felt so dead. 

Not to mention Jungwoo’s distaste for humans. That was also pretty bad. 

Johnny pulled the car into the driveway, shifting it into park before sitting silently for a moment. Jaemin watched as Taeyong settled a gentle hand on his arm, muttering a calming spell under his breath. Jaemin could see some of the anxiety leave Johnny’s body, but not enough to be comforting. Everyone was a little on edge. 

The climb to the steps felt like eternity, the entire “garden” out front only warning them away, with the thorny bushes and dead plants creating a sense of dread. Jaemin grabbed Jeno’s hand and felt Renjun grip his arm. It would be okay, he had his boyfriends by his side. It would be okay, he kept repeating to himself like a mantra. Donghyuck hissed in Renjun’s arms, his ears flattening on his head as they got closer to the door. None of them really enjoyed visiting other witches, especially not Jungwoo. Renjun always said it was because they were too shy to even attempt to make friends with other witches, and the only ones they knew were their mentors or people Taeyong knew. But now, approaching Jungwoo’s house, maybe it was because most witches weren’t as  _ nice  _ as his boyfriends. 

The door swung open before they could even knock, and a man Jaemin had never seen before stood before them. Taeyong narrowed his eyes, and Jaemin knew this wasn’t who they were expecting. He was small, not in height, but in the way he presented himself. His hair was shock blonde, pushed back from his forehead and styled in just the way that looked perfect, no flaws. He wore all black, with a long coat to match, and everything about him screamed  _ old and powerful.  _ Jaemin wasn’t very intimidated, but his boyfriends all inched him away from the stranger. He was probably giving off a heavy aura of danger, as Donghyuck’s puffed up tail showed. Taeyong moved Johnny behind him and moved closer to the stranger. 

“We’re here to talk to Jungwoo. He knows we’re coming.”

“Oh does he? Funny, I hadn’t heard anything from him about visitors.” Taeyong huffed on the stranger’s words, his face pinched in an angry expression. 

“Trust me, he knows. If he didn’t know, I wouldn’t be here now would I? He would’ve smited me as soon as I opened the gate. But he  _ didn’t,  _ so let us in before you really find out how to piss me off.” Jaemin shivered at Taeyong’s words, gripping Jeno’s hand tighter. The stranger glared at Taeyong but let them all pass. He glared at Johnny and hissed, loudly, at Jaemin, causing him to startle back into Jeno’s arms. Jeno flicked his hands and the plant by the door reached out to smack the stranger in the head. He moved back but kept the glare on their group. Jaemin didn’t like the feel of eyes on his back. 

“Ah Taeyong! So, uh,  _ nice  _ of you to drop by! And friends too, wonderful…” Jaemin looked up at the voice, watching as Jungwoo elegantly strolled down the staircase. He was wearing a billowing coat, much larger than anything Jaemin had seen Taeyong in. If Taeyong wore “traditional” witch robes, then Jungwoo wore something even more ancient. His coat, if you could call it that, seemed to have a mind of it’s own, floating around him in such a way that his figure seemed much more imposing than it should have been. Jaemin squeezed Jeno’s hand tightly, wishing he was in the safety of their home instead of here. 

“I told you I was coming Woo, you know the situation. Can you help or not?” Jungwoo raised an eyebrow at Taeyong’s snappiness, and Jaemin felt the air crackle with...something. 

“Where are your manners, Taeyong? What happened to the old fashioned greeting, where we would sit around the table and drink tea and talk about our issues? Now it’s just a need for my powers before moving on.” Jungwoo sighed dramatically, and Taeyong glared at him. He was never one for dramatics, at least not as long as Jaemin had known him, and he felt like an old argument was being brought to light. He felt the air grow more and more uncomfortable as seconds passed. 

“I wonder what caused that Jungwoo. Maybe it was when you tried to kill my boyfriend? Or my apprentice? Or the numerous times you’ve gone after Doyoung. I am tired of your ‘old way’ antics Jungwoo, and so is the rest of the coven. If you kept it to yourself, like Yuta, we wouldn’t be having a problem. But you  _ didn’t. _ ” The air crackled with energy and Jungwoo leaned out of the way as a fireball soared past his head. Taeyong was heaving, his breaths coming in deeply as he shook with anger. Johnny was standing behind him, not scared, but worried about the well-being of his boyfriend. He touched a gentle hand to Taeyong’s back and he deflated slowly, but Jungwoo still stood there, stoic as ever. Jaemin only saw the twitch of his hands as warning. 

He pushed Taeyong out of the way, feeling whatever spell Jungwoo had shot hit him full force. Pain flooded his senses, overwhelming everything else. He couldn’t even think, could only collapse to the ground and groan in pain. It felt like everything was shutting down, his vision whiting out. He faintly registered someone yelling before he blacked out, the pain finally fading away as his brain pushed him into unconsciousness. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyyy there. it's been a little while haha. and by a little while i mean like. half a year but yknow that's not important. 
> 
> i just wanna say i haven't forgotten about this !! i just so happened to start college right about the time i started working on the second chapter (which was supposed to be the final chapter but...we'll get to that) and so this took a lot longer than i ever wanted it too. but i do hope to have the third chapter up sometime in the next month! 
> 
> i was originally going to only make this two chapters, but after coming to the point i have in this chapter, it felt like a natural pause and a good place to stop. i didn't want to make this chapter feel too overwhelmed, because so much already happens here that i felt like wrapping it all up here would feel too rushed. so! here we are :D

The wind was blowing on the beach in a way that indicated a storm approaching. The clouds were gathering slowly on the horizon, meeting up like old friends and hugging closely. Jaemin watched as the rain made itself known, inching closer and closer as the minutes passed. He figured this was going to be an intense storm, and he turned around when he felt a presence behind him. 

“I wanted to apologize. Sadly, you’re still unconscious, so I created this dream so we could...talk, in a way.” Jaemin wasn’t surprised to see Jungwoo sitting there, still looking as perfect and put together as ever. The only indication of his ruffled nature were the clouds that seemed to gather around him, darkening with each passing second, and his missing coat. He almost looked normal, if Jaemin could even say that about any of the witches he had met so far. 

“I’m not normally that brash, I must admit I’m not proud of my behavior. Especially in front of Kun, he was the man that greeted you at the door, he’s very nice normally but my aura had been off all day. Of course, that’s no excuse, so I’m sorry for injuring you Jaemin.” Jaemin listened to Jungwoo’s words silently, nodding at his apology. He wasn’t sure how to feel, because the man sitting on the beach so casually, apologizing to a human, was not the same man who shot the spell at him earlier. And going off his boyfriends’ actions before, he knew he shouldn’t take Jungwoo at face value. But Jaemin was always too kind hearted for his own good, or at least that’s what his mom always told him. 

“I’m not going to get into all of the messy things involving me and Taeyong, although I’m sure you’re curious about the details. Basically, I used to be much more short tempered and...jealous, in ways I shouldn’t have been. I believe that side of myself reared its head today. Kun has been teaching me how to control it. I’m sorry you had to be on the receiving end of it,” Jungwoo sighed after he finished speaking, looking much older without the elegance he held himself with before. Jaemin lowered himself down next to Jungwoo, allowing the sand to curl around him in a way that certainly wasn’t natural but Jaemin wasn’t expecting anything different. He had gotten used to the weird, and he was sure Jungwoo was just another name to add to that list. 

“I understand. Y’know, before I met Jeno, I was really depressed and kind of lonely. I used to get in these screaming matches with my mom about how she didn’t understand and she was a shitty parent, even though she wasn’t. She’s the kindest woman I’ve ever met. But honestly, everyone has their own baggage and I get that. Renjun is always paranoid that something is going to happen to one of us, and Donghyuck turns to the dark magic when things get tough. We all have our own insecurities.” Jungwoo nodded along as Jaemin talked, leaning back on his hands and letting the clouds dissipate. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, and for the first time Jaemin felt that there might be hope on the horizon. 

“I’ll leave you to rest now, but you’ve left me with a lot to think about Jaemin. You’re really kind for a human, you should keep that quality about you. I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you and your boyfriends.” Jaemin smiled and shook his head. 

“It’s okay Jungwoo. But you should probably apologize to everyone else soon, they’re not quite as forgiving as me.”

“I’ll do that. Rest well.” And with that, Jaemin felt his eyes close and everything faded to black once more. 

-

The room was too loud. Or too bright. Jaemin wasn’t quite sure, his eyes were still closed, but everything around him felt like  _ too much.  _ He could hear agitated voices, faintly, like they were standing outside and he was behind the door. Muffled, that was the word. It took a few seconds for his brain to catch up and then the pain rushed in. 

He gasped with the pain, feeling as if every nerve was on fire, alight with only the purpose to cause him pain. He faintly registered hands on his face, pushing his body back down towards the bed, but he still couldn’t open his eyes. They were glued shut, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to open them. If the pain in his body was bad, he knew it would only be ten times worse once he registered the world around him. 

There were more hands, he slowly registered, all pushing him back towards the bed. He didn’t even realize he was writhing in pain, all he could think about was the pain. Everything hurt, so so bad, please make it go away. 

“Shh Nana, we’re getting there, it’ll be okay. Go back to sleep baby, shh.” The voice was speaking quietly to him, trying to get him to calm down. He wanted to, but it hurt so bad, couldn’t they understand? 

“We’re going to have to put him back under. If he stays awake much longer…”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll...I’ll go get Renjun.”

Jaemin didn’t register how much time passed, still writhing with pain, but he did recognize the seconds of relief before sleep pulled him back under. He thought he heard a sob before blackness took over, but he couldn’t be sure. 

-

The second time Jaemin rose to consciousness was a lot calmer than the first. There was a faint tingling pain in the background, but it wasn’t permeating every cell like before. He felt like he could breathe, at least, and he considered opening his eyes. Jaemin still felt off, like he knew something was wrong but his brain couldn’t quite pinpoint what. It was probably just the remnants of his dreams. Yeah. 

He slowly pried open his eyes, feeling like they were glued together. He remembered bits and pieces, waking up to pain and tears before being dragged back into the dream world. He did remember throwing himself in front of the spell to protect Taeyong. That, he didn’t regret. 

The room was most certainly in Taeyong’s house, which didn’t surprise Jaemin. It was the easiest place to watch over him, the easiest access to whatever they needed and whoever they needed to help him heal. Also, no nosy plants or random explosions. Just peace and calm. 

Jaemin slowly looked around, his eyes landing on the hand gripping his. Of course Jeno was there, he probably hadn’t left the entire time Jaemin was out. Stupid idiot, always putting others before himself. Luckily, it seemed like the hours had caught up with him, because Jeno was passed out in the chair next to the bed, his head resting on a soft pillow (Renjun probably put that there), and looking like he had finally relaxed after hours of stress. Jaemin just wished they could always sleep that way. 

“You’re awake.” Jaemin looked up at the voice to see Taeyong standing in the doorway. He looked like a mess. His hair looked unstyled, his robes were gone and replaced by a simple sweatshirt, and his eyes were rimmed red. Jaemin felt awful. 

“I. We didn’t expect you to wake up so soon.”

“Well,” Jaemin cleared his throat, coughing a bit after not using his voice for so long, “you know how I am. Too stubborn to do what anyone expects.” Taeyong huffed a laugh before tears welled up in his eyes. Jaemin tried to sit up and help, to remind him that he was still alive and okay, but Taeyong just pushed him back down. 

“God I can’t believe you did that. For me…”

“Well yeah, I mean, a lot of people would miss you. And we all care for you too much. I couldn’t let someone hurt you.”

“Jaemin, a lot of people missed  _ you. _ ” 

“Well yeah, but. I’m not as useful, y’know? Just another human.” The room went silent at his words, an icy chill falling over the whole room. 

Jeno was awake, that’s for sure. 

“Is that what you think about yourself?” Jeno’s voice chimed in, the grip on his hand getting suddenly tighter. 

“Jaemin-”

“I mean, I know a lot of people love me! Fuck, I’d miss you three too much,” Jaemin looked over at Jeno, meeting his misty eyes. This isn’t how he imagined this conversation to go at all. 

“But, I don’t have any magic or anything. I’m not really useful, not in the way Hyuck is or Renjun is, or Taeyong is, fuck. The community would fall apart. I just, it’s okay if I get hurt, but it’s not okay if you do.” He was only looking at Jeno now, trying to push his meaning into his words. Because to him, that’s how it was. He loved his boyfriends, loved their world and their magic and everything, but he wasn’t apart of it. Not in the way they were. And he wouldn’t be missed as much, he didn’t mean as much. He was just another human at the end of the day. 

“I’m. What the fuck Jaemin?” Jeno said, and for the first time in a while, Jaemin  _ felt _ Jeno’s anger. Felt it in the way the room continued to drop in temperature, until the windows were frozen over. Watched as the plants around the room all grew and grew, the candles brightened. The room felt like a whirlwind, and even Taeyong looked wary. 

“Can you give us a moment, Taeyong? And send Renjun and Hyuck in soon.” Taeyong nodded to Jeno, giving Jaemin a quick pat on the head before leaving the room, and Jaemin heard the lock click. He wished he had kept his mouth shut, kept the insecurities inside. He had been doing fine up until this point, he knew his place, it was okay. 

“When did this start?” Jeno asked softly, moving off of the chair so he could sit in front of Jaemin on the bed. The room was still affected by his magic, but much less extreme. Jaemin was always in awe of his boyfriend’s power. 

“I don’t know, I’ve always felt different. But not in a bad way or anything, just like I don’t really fit in, not in the same way. Obviously you guys love me and I love you, but you’re going to go on and do amazing things and I’ll just be the cheerleader. Which is fine with me!” Jaemin felt the words tumble out of his mouth, trying his best to avoid looking at Jeno. He knew it sounded bad, but it was  _ fine.  _ He had come to terms with it long before they started dating, when it was just he and Jeno against the world and he knew Jeno was destined for more things with his magic.

“You know you’re more than that Nana, we wouldn’t have survived this long without you…” Jeno trailed off, gripping tighter on Jaemin’s hand. 

“He’s right.” The door opened with a bang, slamming against the wall with such a force that Jaemin jumped. Renjun stood in the doorway, his eyes lit with a fire and passion that Jaemin rarely saw. Behind him stood Donghyuck, still in cat form, but Jaemin could feel the anger rolling off him in waves. The magic in the room was going haywire, with the amount of emotion surrounding them. 

“You pull us back from the fire when we get too close, remind us that magic isn’t everything, that deep down we’re still human,” Renjun said, marching up to the bed and giving Jaemin a slap on the arm. 

“Ow! What was that for?”

“For doing something stupid like jumping in front of Taeyong to save him from a spell. That’s the kind of dumb only Donghyuck is allowed to do.” Jaemin heard a meow of protest, before he suddenly had a lap full of cat. Donghyuck looked very stern, at least as stern as a cat could, before he started pawing at Jaemin’s chest, demanding pets. Jaemin complied easily. 

“The amount of pain numbing potions I had to brew...Jaemin you could’ve died, you idiot!” Renjun’s eyes filled with tears, and once again Jaemin felt a bone crushing guilt. While he was wallowing in self pity, his boyfriends were worrying over the fact that he might never wake up. And before he knew it, his mind was overwhelmed. He burst into tears before he could stop himself. 

“Jaemin…” Jeno trailed off, moving further up the bed to give him a bone crushing hug. Jaemin felt claws dig into his stomach and another body joined the pile, muttering curses through a warbling voice. 

“I love you guys so much, I’m so sorry I just couldn’t let Taeyong get hurt I had to protect him I had to, you have to-”

“Shh Jaem, it’s okay, take some deep breaths.” Jaemin followed the whispered instructions, feeling comforted for the first time in a while. 

They stayed connected for a while, all holding each other, until they heard the door slowly open with a creak. Renjun let go first, looking back to narrow his eyes at the intruder in the doorway. Donghyuck meowed in a sad way, clinging tighter to Jaemin. Jeno just sighed, before pulling Renjun back. 

“I didn’t mean to, uh, intrude or anything. But Taeyong really needs you all out in the living room.” Johnny stood in the doorway, covering his eyes like he had walked into something he wasn’t supposed to see. Jaemin let out a small giggle seeing Johnny like that, and he saw the small smile on Johnny’s face before he left. 

“Here Nana, Taeyong got you a wheelchair to use until you’re completely healed,” Jeno said, gently lifting Jaemin into the chair. It felt weird, being pushed along instead of walking, but Jaemin trusted Taeyong and Renjun with everything he had, and he knew he’d be back to normal in no time. Before he could dwell on his injuries much longer, they reached the living room and were met with a very serious looking Taeyong. He looked up at their entrance, loud due to the scraping of wheels on the wood floor, but immediately the mood of the room turned towards something focused. Everyone’s attention was focused on Taeyong, who looked more serious than he had in awhile. 

“I think,” He spoke, after a moment of contemplation, “that I have a way to turn Donghyuck back.” The room dropped into dead silence after Taeyong spoke, his eyes still focused on the ground before glancing up to the four boyfriends. There was a small breath of relief, and the mood suddenly felt a lot more hopeful. 

“Are you serious? Like, you can really turn him back?” Jeno asked, rushing forwards towards Taeyong, already giving him a big hug. Renjun stood in shock, his eyes still focused on Taeyong but Jaemin knew he was mentally far away. Jaemin hadn’t quite processed the news himself, they were going to have Donghyuck back in human form. After the complete insanity of the past 2 days, it finally felt like a glimmer of hope was coming their way. Their Donghyuck back.

“We’ll have to visit Doyoung, if you’re okay with that Jeno.” Jeno’s eyes lit up at Taeyong’s words, and he jumped around the room in excitement. 

“I haven’t seen Doyoung in forever…” Jaemin muttered quietly, remembering simple times when Jeno was still training and it seemed like they saw Doyoung every day. 

“He’ll be quite excited to get a visit from all of you, but he won’t be too excited to see the forms we come in,” Taeyong said, looking around at their disheveled group. Jeno still couldn’t hold back his excitement though, completely disregarding Taeyong’s words. 

“Maybe he can lend me a new spell book, oh Jaemin it’ll be amazing I can’t believe we’re going to see him again after so long!” Jeno tugged on Jaemin’s arm like a child, and Jaemin couldn’t help but giggle. It would do them good to visit other witches more often, Jaemin thought, because it seemed like the stream of regulars to their shop never provided the right amount of social interaction that his boyfriends needed. Jaemin made a mental note of it, before diverting his attention back to Jeno who was still running around like an excited puppy. 

“We better not waste any time, I’ve already called to let him know so if we leave now we can beat sunset.” Taeyong ushered them all to his car, allowing Johnny to gently lift Jaemin into the front seat while everyone else piled into the back. Jaemin had argued with Taeyong for a good five minutes about sitting in the front, saying he was fine and it wouldn’t make that much of a difference, but Taeyong refused to hear it. 

The car ride was peaceful, Johnny’s music playing softly in the background as they drove further into the wooded area. Taeyong lived just on the edge of society, as he liked to call it, far enough that the sounds of rushing cards didn’t bother them but close enough that grocery shopping wasn’t a hassle. Doyoung, on the other hand, lived completely removed from society. He always claimed, at least to Jeno, it was so he could be closer to the elements, but Jaemin highly doubted that. It was probably because he hated having to deal with regular people and the inconvenience of it all. So he lived in the middle of nowhere. 

Jeno was still excited, Jaemin could feel his energy even from the front seat. Renjun was calm, the stress of the past few days finally taking its toll as his head kept dipping down. He would always startle and blink his eyes back open, but Jaemin could see the fight against sleep wouldn’t last very long. Cat Donghyuck was snoozing in Jeno’s lap, comforted by his happy energy. Taeyong was looking out the window, deep in contemplation. Jaemin didn’t want to disturb that, so he turned back around in his seat. Johnny glanced over at him briefly, before letting his eyes drift back towards the road. 

“I never got to thank you, you know. For doing what you did.” Johnny said, breaking the unspoken silence that had fallen over them. Jaemin looked over, surprised. 

“It was kind of stupid but I’d do it again. I’d do anything to protect the people I love.” Johnny smiled at Jaemin’s words, reaching across the car to ruffle his hair fondly. 

“I know you would. You have such a kind heart, you impact those around you in such a positive way. But if you ever jump in front of a spell again, Taeyong will really kill you himself.”

“I will, Johnny’s not lying.” Jaemin glanced back in surprise at Taeyong, who still hadn’t broken his stare out the window, but was obviously listening in on their conversation. 

“What you did was really dangerous Jaemin. And stupid, but I’m sure Renjun already told you that,” Taeyong said, finally meeting Jaemin’s eyes. 

“I know, but I needed to do something. I had to help.” 

“You’re too kind Jaemin. Seriously though, don’t do it again.” Jaemin nodded at Taeyong’s words, turning back to the front and allowing the blur of trees passing by to lull him into a soft sleep. 

-

Doyoung’s house was filled to the brim with magic. It wasn’t like Taeyong’s cottage, which had elements of the human world sprinkled with magic, or even like their own house with its moving walls and talking plants and yet very human fridge, stove, and microwave. Everything about Doyoung’s house screamed witch. The house had legs, but was currently settled down on the ground. Jaemin always joked that Doyoung was like a real life Howl, but he really was. There were no human traces in his house, no stoves or fridges, everything was done using magic and magic essence. It astounded Jaemin that magic could be so self reliant, but he learned new things every day. 

The door swung open before they had even finished parking the car, Doyoung turning his nose up at the human technology, as he called it. When Jaemin took in Doyoung’s appearance, after seeing him again after so long, he really hadn’t changed much. He had changed his hair color, wore different robes, and maybe he had aged a few years, but everything about Jeno’s mentor was the exact same. 

“Can you not put that atrocious thing outside my house? He doesn’t like it, claims the fumes lessen his essence.”

“Oh shut up Doie, your house is dramatic and you just hate our car because it’s not a broomstick,” Taeyong yelled from where he was getting out of the back. Doyoung just rolled his eyes, opening the door further to welcome his guests. Johnny grinned at Doyoung as he walked into the house, met with a huff from Doyoung, and Taeyong tackled Doyoung into a hug before he could protest. Jaemin watched the exchange with happiness, glad to see that even though years may have gone by, friends still stick together. 

“Do you need help Nana?” Jeno asked, opening the car door and summoning the wheelchair next to it. Jaemin felt a little pathetic, but the pain all throughout his body reminded him that it was okay to need help, considering the fact that he was too weak to walk. 

Renjun appeared next to Jeno after he had moved Jaemin into the wheelchair and gracefully plopped Donghyuck into his lap. He also slipped him a pain numbing potion, and Jaemin could feel himself relax as some of the pain finally dispersed, even if it was only for a short while. 

“Na Jaemin, what did you do?” Doyoung approached Jaemin like one would imagine a lion approaching its prey after it had frozen in fear. He stalked over to the wheelchair, his height over Jaemin at this time working with his fierce walk to cut an imposing figure. 

“Hey Doyoung, what’s new with you? Working on any new spells or-”

“Taeyong told me what you did, don’t try to dodge the question. And even if he  _ hadn’t _ , I’m sure Jeno would tell me in a heartbeat. You are so stupid, how could you do that!” His words were punctuated with an anger in his eyes that Jaemin knew was out of love. Still, an angry Doyoung was an intimidating Doyoung. Jaemin just sighed, already tired of trying to explain his reasoning. To him, it made perfect sense. But to everyone else, it seemed like the stupidest move. 

“Well, you might as well come in. I can take a look at the spell that hit you, see if we can do anything about the pain. And Donghyuck, don’t think that just because you aren’t the main idiot right now that you’re not going to get a scolding,” Doyoung turned and moved swiftly towards his house, Donghyuck meowing sadly after him. No one liked scolding, and both Jaemin and Donghyuck had received more than enough in the past two days. 

Moving into Doyoung’s home felt like coming home. In a way, it had become home. Jeno spent so much time running down the halls while he trained, and he always had a firm grip on Jaemin’s wrist, dragging him along as well. And Doyoung kind of accepted that he would have to adopt two apprentices, one witch and one human. 

Donghyuck meowed sadly in Jaemin’s lap, and he leaned down to press a kiss to his fur. 

“I hope we have you back soon Hyuck. I miss you.” There was a small meow in response, and Jaemin felt a little comforted. Hopefully Doyoung would help fix their problems. When they were younger, Jaemin remembered Doyoung as this perfect mentor figure, swooping in to fix all the problems before they could even occur. As he grew older, he realized that wasn’t quite the truth. Doyoung was still human, with witch powers added on, which only made for larger and more impactful mistakes. There were still many things Doyoung didn’t tell them about, but Jaemin didn’t mind. There were a lot of things he and Jeno had kept secret from Doyoung too.

Doyoung led them back to what he called his workspace but Jaemin affectionately called the Dungeon. It looked exactly like you’d expect a witch’s lair to look, complete with moss growing on the walls and everything. Doyoung absolutely let it grow to contribute to the witchy aesthetic but he refused to admit it, no matter how many times Jaemin had mentioned it. 

As they wandered into the dark and damp space, color flooded their eyes. Doyoung was obviously working on many spells and potions for his customers, as they all floated around them. Jaemin wasn’t scared of them like he used to be, mostly because he knew Doyoung was one of the most powerful witches he had ever met and would protect them from anything, even his own spells. Jaemin remembered an unfortunate incident from his younger years that made him shudder and thank the stars that Doyoung was always there to protect them. 

“You know the rules. Don’t touch anything, especially you Johnny. Taeyong may let you touch his work, but what he does is nothing compared to this magic. And Renjun, you may want to brew another few pain relieving potions while we’re down here.” Jaemin watched as Renjun’s eyes lit up, his hands obviously itching to touch Doyoung’s state of the art equipment. Even though most of it fit the witchy aesthetic, it was far more advanced than anything they had in their apartment. 

Everyone else followed Doyoung into the depths of his dungeon, finally coming to a somewhat clear and safe space. There was a pentagram in the center of the room, of course, because Doyoung’s house couldn’t be normal for once. But once Doyoung assured them it was safe and unactivated (or so he said), they all filed into the room. Doyoung started flipping through books, and sent Jeno and Taeyong to gather ingredients. Jaemin felt useless, but as Donghyuck pawed at his lap, at least he didn’t feel alone. 

“Jaemin, I’m going to try and help you first because I think I have the easiest fix to your problem. Honestly, all of this could’ve been avoided if Taeyong had simply contacted me first, but whatever. Sometimes I think he and Jungwoo visit each other just to get into fights.”

“I heard that! Lies and slander Doyoung!”

“Yeah whatever. He knows it’s true. Anyways, I think Woo’s spell should be pretty easy to combat, especially since Renjun and Taeyong have done most of the heavy lifting. It’s just some residue magic inside you that’s keeping the pain around,” Doyoung said, and Jaemin tried to follow the rest of his explanation but the pain started returning. Renjun’s potions seemed to be having less and less effect on him as he continued to take them. 

Donghyuck meowed impatiently and Doyoung realized that Jaemin’s eyes were fluttering shut in pain. He sighed and went back to work on the spell. He mentally called out for Renjun to hurry up with his potion, and hoped they could have Jaemin back to normal soon. And hopefully Donghyuck too, if his spell would work. 


End file.
